In the Silence
by Lady Xiao
Summary: Nine pictures rest before her... Nine lives are on the line... Nine public figures who seemingly have nothing in common are all taken captive for reasons they have yet to understand. Can the case be solved before it is too late? Couples undecided.
1. Prologue

Ok, well here is my new story. I know I have A LOT of unfinished buisness and have no buisness starting something new, but here I am. I just don't have any inspiration for my other stories, save a few, which are in the works. I will finish them all eventually.

If you are mad at me, bite me. :

Anyway, this is different from ANYTHING I have ever done, so please bear with me. Leave comments after reading please, tell me if it is worth continuing. I am trying to find a fic that I really want to update all the time and won't hit writers block with!

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

Oh, and ALL senshi are involved! PROMISE!

* * *

_In the Silence_

**Prologue**

The office of Setsuna Meioh was usually tidy; everything put in its proper place, such as the coat hanger that sat by the door which she always had turned ninety degrees parallel to her desk or the curtains that she always had pulled back four inches from the bottom. Her files were always put away in her file cabinet, no paper left astray or task left undone. Stacy, her secretary who had been hired a few months back, found herself out of work most of the time because Setsuna has done everything prior to her clocking in. With that being said, it is quite obvious to most that Miss Meioh was not having a usual day.

She sat in the floor of her office, sitting on her knees, files and pictures strewn around her. Her hand lay delicately on her chin, dark hair falling around her face with crimson eyes darting between nine photographs. Unknown to everyone excluding Stacy, she had been in this position for three hours straight, not moving a centimeter. This was very unlike Setsuna indeed.

_Nine different people… each with nine different letters… all of them completely different…_

Her eyes went to the first photograph, trying to go through the information again. Pictured was a blonde male with cerulean eyes favoring his flawless smile. He was pictured in a suit, a podium standing before him, making it obvious that this was taken in public.

_Quatre Winner, politician and revolutionary. A 23 year old billionaire with no family. All body guards found dead in the hotel room, along with the letter E painted on the wall. _

Taking her eyes off the first picture, she moved them to the second one, running through the timeline in her mind. It was Dr. Ami Mizuno, leading surgeon in both popularity and success ratings around the world. She had never failed in a procedure. She was wearing her coat and scrubs, blue hair cut into a short bob. Most would think her boring if it weren't for the tiniest of smiles she gave to the camera.

_Dr. Mizuno, most popular doctor in the world. 22 years old, with a divorced mother and father. Never arrived to work, which was supposedly odd of her, and apartment was found destroyed with the letter N etched into her dining table._

Moving for the first time in hours, Setsuna rubbed her eyes, just realizing how dry they had become from the lack of blinking. Technically she was supposed to be at lunch, like her partners Wufei and Mamoru, but she was too engrossed in this case to even think about ingesting anything.

Progressing to the next two photographs her brain began to ache, beginning to grow tired of devoting itself to these images it had been gazing upon for hours on end. After putting a reminder in the back of her brain to restock her Tylenol supply, she pressed forward.

Rei and Duo Maxwell, siblings and hero's among the world population known for destroying bases along the coast of Africa for lodging nuclear weapons that had a target on the city of New York. They were experts in the mechanics of war jets and planes, and were rumored to have begun planning for their own private company of plane manufacturing. Rei, a black haired girl that stood in her Airforce uniform, looked menacingly at the camera, clenched fists indicating she was not too happy at the moment. Her older brother Duo, a brunette male with a smile lounged against his fighter jet, appearing to be more relaxed than his sibling.

_Rei and Duo Maxwell, 18 and 19 year old siblings with no family relations save a grandfather and no home other than the Airforce. Serve the United States in the military. Became famous after their raid on enemy bases housing atomic bombs. House was found deserted with the letters I and C painted on the ceiling. _

So far she only had connections between Rei and Duo, considering they were family. The farther Setsuna progressed the more aggravated she became, knowing that each turn met with more questions and no answers. No answers meant unsolved cases, and with this one, also meant people died.

Pushing herself forward she progressed to picture five, meeting a tall brunette with a stony glare. Even if not presented with a name, Setsuna knew who this man was. Trowa Barton, CEO of Barton Industries, leading supplier of new technology around the globe. He stood with a cigarette, brown coat draped over one shoulder and green eyes looking as though they could penetrate the most solid of stone.

_Trowa Barton, 25, with one sister, Catherine. CEO of Barton Industries. No known enemies. Rumored to smoke at least one pack of cigarettes a day. Office was found empty by his secretary, the letter F scrawled on the wall with a sharpie. _

The next abduction, which happened only hours after that of Mr. Barton, was actress Minako Aino. In the next picture, the young beauty was seen on the red carpet, wearing an orange dress and carrying a golden clutch. Her blonde hair cascading down to her lower back. She was smiling par usual.

_Minako Aino, 17, actress with a mother and father. Only known enemies would be people who disliked her as an actress. Never appeared on the set to screen a movie, with dressing room found empty and signs of struggle apparent. The letter A was written on her mirror with lipstick._

"Well, this only seems to get more complicated." She murmured whilst moving on to the next victim, Makoto Kino, a young chef who just won the reality TV show, Star Chef. She wore a chef's apron with her brown hair pulled up on top of her head. In her right hand she held a spatula, which seemed to be melted on one side.

_Makoto Kino, 17, an upcoming chef with no parents. Said to love cooking more than life itself. Her best friend and fellow chef Marie Chavez found her apartment trashed and Makoto absent. The letter N was cut into her wooden floors. _

In the eighth picture she was greeted with professional racecar driver Haruka Tenoh, who held her helmet between her side and her arm. She wore her racing outfit, sweat marring her brow due to a race previous to the photo-op. As a prominent figure to racing world, her disappearance caused quite a commotion.

_Haruka Tenoh, 24, a professional racecar driver with no family with the exception of Michiru Kaioh, who is said to be her partner. Was absent from a race, which signaled alarms to her crew. Location of abduction believed to be in the garage, where the letter E was keyed into the side of her car. _

Trying to piece everything together, Setsuna moved onto the most puzzling piece of the entire puzzle. The last picture, which she only obtained hours ago, seemed to throw a wrench in her entire layout. While the others listed prior were all prominent public figures, this one was completely blank. Literally. The computer system had nothing on him, and the only reason they knew of his capture was that someone had taped a paper, with the picture, onto her car door.

_Heero Yuy, the final victim, with the letter S printed beneath the picture. _

Want to guess what the letters mean? Take a stab at it, I dare ya. ;)

-Xiao


	2. Chapter One

WOW. I was NOT expecting that good of a turnout! Dang, 11 reviews just for the prologue?? I am very happy! Good news for you guys though, because I have TONS of stuff in my head for this fic! I think I found the fic I have been needing to get me out of my spell!

So, I got a question of where Usagi is. Don't worry! She's coming! I am not going to exclude like I have done in the past.

Also, good job to _Hannah_ and _BluLadyK_ for taking me up on my challenge and guessing correctly! To those of you who still don't know, the answer to the 'letters' is coming up.

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

THANK YOU TO ALL MY REVIEWERS!

* * *

_In the Silence_

**Chapter One**

The room was dark, but it was always dark. No breeze could be felt, only the endless silence surrounding you, trying to swallow what little you had left. However, there was some comfort knowing you weren't there alone, or at least, that is what Minako kept telling herself.

It was wet in their prison, the slightly obnoxious dripping of a nearby pipe resonating throughout the room. Her new jeans were ruined as well as her manicure, considering she was tossed in a puddle of muck upon her arrival. She knew there were others with her, but she had yet to see them. Their captor said he would turn on the lights when all of them were present. Apparently, they weren't all here yet.

By _them_, she could only assume he meant the rest he intended to capture. She wondered for days, or it seemed like days anyway, what she did to deserve this. Did her new movie totally bomb? Is this what they did to failing actresses? She doubted it, but was willing to accept anything at this point.

Minako exhaled deeply while resting her head on the wall behind her. She was sure her hair was matted with dirt and grime, which was not exactly something she believed, was fair, since she was an actress and all. Actually, her being in this situation period was something that wasn't very fair, in her opinion. If she talked to everyone else, she was sure that they would agree with her.

Talking to these strangers, however many there were, was one of the most difficult things she had ever done. Well, attempted rather, considering she hadn't actually talked to them yet. How were you supposed to talk to someone you had yet to see and under these conditions?

Before she could react though, the lights snapped on, along with a voice filling the room…

* * *

Trowa opened his eyes with a start, only to regret it with the burning sensation of heat bursting through his eyelids. Moving his hand to guard his face, he winced, forgetting how it felt to be in the presence of light.

"Hello, everyone…"

A voice, a man's no doubt, echoed above them with a tone of authority. At the realization that his captor was speaking to him, Trowa clenched his fists, letting his hand fall from his face.

"I hope you have enjoyed your stay so far. It is only bound to improve, right?"

Across from him, a girl with black hair and wearing military fatigues stood up, lifting her mouth to the ceiling.

"What the hell do you want from us, you bastard!"

The voice on the intercom chuckled lightly, making the girl grow more frustrated. A man that had been sitting beside her stood up, putting a hand on the girls shoulder. She saw him whisper something in her ear, but from his distance, couldn't hear a word.

"Miss Maxwell, it would be in your best interest to settle down. I will explain everything in due time. Now, I would just like for you all to hold tight and bask in my immense joy."

There was a click heard from the intercom, signaling that the man was now gone. The girl grumbled and walked to a metal barrel in the corner of the room, giving it a swift kick. All everyone else could do was stare.

"That fucking asshole!"

The man with her grabbed her arm, pulling her away from the object she was currently destroying. He also wore fatigues, a long, brown braid dangling from his scalp. Something about them seemed vaguely familiar to Trowa, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Rei, calm down. You screaming and kicking shit won't do a thing." He coaxed, giving her a soothing stare. "Remember; keep your emotions under control."

She nodded and put a hand on her forehead, exhaling loudly. "I know. If I had my jet I would blast this place straight to hell, though."

"Wouldn't we all?"

This last statement was made by a girl lying on her back with her feet crossed and arms behind her head. She was a brunette, wearing flannel pajama pants and a red tank top. Trowa recognized her as the cook that won Star Chef, Makoto Kino. Contrary to popular belief, the famous CEO did make time for the occasional TV show.

The room grew silent and he took this as an opportunity to look upon its occupants. In the back of the room, wearing muddy jeans and a tear stained face sat actress Minako Aino, someone everyone knew. She looked oddly out of place in the dank prison, like a crayon in a box full of markers. Out of everyone he had seen she was the most upset.

"Why do you suppose we are all in this situation?" Another woman, one with blue hair, spoke up whilst pushing her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. By the looks of her attire, Trowa assumed she was either a nurse or a doctor. "I mean, this was no coincidence. We all have some part to play in this."

It was after this question, Trowa decided to step in.

* * *

Duo eased his sister down to the floor, making sure she would stay calm. If that wasn't hard enough, everyone else in the room began to discuss their current problem. He was sure that would get her stirred up again.

The doctor, or he assumed she was a doctor anyway, brought about the question on why they were here. Why were they here? None of them had connections so it seemed, other than Rei and himself, so why them? Why the nine of them?

"Maybe this is a ploy by terrorists." The brunette male, CEO Barton offered, pulling a cigarette from his jacket pocket. He lit the smoke slowly, closing his eyes as he inhaled his first hit. "I mean, it has happened before."

"I don't believe the capture of nine civilians has happened anytime before." Rei stated calmly, turning her head back to the doctor. "You look smart; you must have some inclination of what the hell is going on."

The woman shook her head, meeting his sister's gaze with one of surprising confidence. Secretly he envied her for accomplishing such a feat.

"I haven't the slightest clue what is happening. No amount of intelligence can figure this out with out some sort of information."

Silence overtook the room again, making Duo antsy. He hated the quiet on any normal occasion, and he hated it more now since he was being held captive in a creepy basement. The annoying drip, drip of the leaky pipes made it almost impossible to stand.

"What do we all have in common?" A quiet voice asked, which seemed to come from a blonde sitting on a wooden crate. Duo recognized him as politician Quatre Winner, the one campaigning for a spot on the current presidential ballot. As a soldier, Duo was usually up-to-date on happenings in politics, knowing that the President alone was in charge of what could happen to his very life.

"Well, if you think about it, all of us are famous in our own right." Minako offered, wiping her face free of tears. She tried to smile, but everyone knew it was one without its usual meaning. "I mean, come on. CEO of Barton Industries? Winner of one of the hottest reality TV shows? Two pilots who saved our nation from being destroyed by nukes?"

* * *

Rei looked up after hearing the latest suggestion. She was surprised to find it came from the blonde actress, who previously sat crying against the wall. If it were any other time and under any other circumstances she might have scolded her for being weak, but she found the time to be appropriate for such emotions.

Glancing over at her brother, Rei sighed, knowing that the seriousness of the moment was secretly killing him. She knew he was pondering over different scenarios and potential ways to escape, but she knew it was futile. If their captor had managed to kidnap all nine of them, which she assumed were all heavily guarded, he could manage keeping them all confined.

"I think she has a point." A woman, however masculine she may seem, stated as she lounged against a wall. The moss and dirt buildup on the wall had found its way onto her shoulders, forever staining her racing attire. "We are all well known aren't we?"

Everyone nodded and continued to throw in their two cents, not particularly listening to anything anyone else had to say. The only person who said nothing, and hadn't said anything since his arrival, was a brunette man who sat propped against the stairwell in the front of the basement. He had his eyes closed, arms and legs crossed with an indifferent scowl on his face. Something about his persona signaled 'authority' to Rei, but she remained silent. Her thoughts had already been shared in the form of profanity.

"I just wish we knew something…" Quatre sighed; making the room quit their discussion for the moment. The politician had a tone in his voice that made everyone listen, no matter the circumstance. "So, there are nine of us, all of which are well known in some shape of form. Other than that, we have nothing."

"I swear on my car that I will kill this asshole when this is all said and done." Haruka Tenoh, the racecar driver exclaimed, pounding her fist into her palm. She looked to Rei and Makoto, giving them a small smile. "I'll be counting on you to help me."

"He won't even have a chance to say _soufflé_ before I shove my fist through his skull."

Rei could only nod.

For the next hour or so, everyone branched off into there own world, trying to forget the hell they were currently confined to. Trowa puffed on his cigarettes in silence, Quatre and Ami discussed theories and reasons behind the whole ordeal, and everyone else just sat there, trying not to lose their minds. Rei and Duo had a good game of slaps going, but the overwhelming tension brought their fun to an end.

"I can't stand this." Rei whispered to Duo. "This doesn't make any sense."

He nodded in agreement. "Hey, does that guy seem familiar to you at all? Quatre said earlier that we were all famous, but I don't remember him from anywhere."

"You're right. I think they forgot about him because he hasn't said a word." Rei concluded while picking dirt from beneath her nails. "He has an air of authority about him, like he is someone to be respected."

Her brother shrugged, tilting his head a tad so he could get some dirt out of his hair. "You were always the one good at reading people."

Leaving her sibling to clean his hair, Rei looked at the mysterious man from the corner of her eyes. He wore a black wife beater and green cargo pants, tucked into black boots. His image practically screamed military, but as a top official in the United States Airforce, she was pretty well informed on everyone who did something to exceed their call of duty in any branch.

Giving up on her thoughts, she began to rest, letting her head fall on her brother's shoulder.

* * *

Setsuna sat in the conference room, her team sitting across from her. She couldn't help but be frustrated, knowing that people were being held prisoner until she could decipher the current mess. All she knew so far was that there were nine held captive, as well as nine different letters. Everything else was a toss up.

"Patricia deciphered the code left by the letters. Instead of an acronym as previously thought, it is two words; nine faces." Wufei stated, dropping a folder on the table, narrowly missing Mamoru's mug of coffee. "Which, I would like to add, really gives us nothing, because that leads us all sorts of directions."

The other two at the table nodded, not liking the situation one bit. This was the first case that took them longer than a day to crack. It was quite discouraging really, knowing that you might have finally met your match.

"Well, we will have to investigate all of those directions then." Mamoru concluded, moving his coffee from the distraught folder. "Let's review the information, shall we?"

In all the years Setsuna had known Mamoru, he had always been the one to stray from the task at hand if something say, more enticing, interfered. However, his focus and complete attention was devoted solely to the case, making her job a lot easier.

Wufei, on the other hand, had come up recently through a promotion. She hadn't had much time to get to know him, but what she had learned was actually quite amusing. The day he found out she was his supervisor, he about quit on the spot. Apparently, working for a woman didn't sit with him too well. Now, they actually got along nicely and she could dare say even got along.

"Let's start with the basics, going back to the capture of Quatre Winner." Setsuna suggested, pulling out a yellow pad of paper and her favorite green pen. "Mamoru, review the crime scene."

"Alright," Mamoru began, booting up his laptop and hooking up the projector. One thing Setsuna really enjoys about Mamoru's reviews of evidence, or rather is amused by, is his obsession with his projector. Nearly every briefing, review, or analysis is visited by his favorite gadget, and it doesn't seem to be falling from his style. Wufei just rolls his eyes, feeling the urge to toss it out the window. "Let's begin, shall we?"

The first picture was of the subject, or Quatre, along with everything of initial importance. Birth date, social security number, all credit cards, recent trips, and biography included.

"Quatre Winner, the twenty-three year old male running for candidacy for the upcoming presidential election. On the morning of August 2, members of Mr. Winner's administration found his hotel room trashed, along with the bodies of his four bodyguards." Mamoru took this opportunity to switch the picture up on his projector, moving to a shot of the room post-kidnap. "As you can see, his four body guards have all been shot three times; once in the head and once in each palm. The-"

"Wait… shot in each palm?" Wufei asked for reassurance, which he received from a nod from Mamoru. "We all know that is no place to shoot someone… unless…"

"They are leaving behind a mark." Setsuna finished, standing up to pace the room. "If I remember correctly, the rest of the people found at the other crime scenes had the same wounds."

"Indeed. Now proceeding…" Mamoru switched the slide. "On the far wall in Quatre's hotel room, the letter E was painted with a red satin paint, the kind usually used if one were painting a house."

"We already found out what the letters say…" Wufei stated, propping his feet up on the table. He wasn't one for repetitiveness. "We just need to look down the roads it could lead us to."

The room grew deadly still, only the whirring sound of Mamoru's projector making a sound. Setsuna sighed, looking to her team with a determined gleam in her eyes.

"Yes, I believe we should do just that."

* * *

**End of Chapter One**

Whatcha think? Any comments? If so, review!

-Xiao


End file.
